√RUK “terrible shapes and the fear they inspire, [ᴹ√] demon”; ᴹ√OROK “*goblin” The root ᴹ√RUK “demon” appeared in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives ᴹQ. rauko and N. rhaug of the same meaning, serving as the basis for N. Balrog (Ety/RUK). In the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, similar
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: RŌ-ROT
√RŌ/ORO “up(wards); rise (up), go high, mount; [ᴹ√] high, [ᴱ√] steepness, rising” This invertible root had a long history in Tolkien’s writings. Its earliest iteration was in a pair of roots in Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s: ᴱ√OŘO [OÐO] with derivatives having to do with the “dawn”, and ᴱ√ORO “steepness,
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: RĪ-RIY
√RĪ “*edge, border” An unglossed root in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. ríma “edge, hem, border” and N. rhîf “brink, brim” (Ety/RĪ). Tolkien then added a note “alter to SRI-” without revising the derivatives (EtyAC/RĪ). Given that all its derivatives indicate primitive rīm-, it is almost
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: RED-REÞE
√RED “scatter, sow” This root first appeared as ᴹ√RED “scatter, sow” in The Etymologies of the 1930s along with augmented variant ᴹ√ERÉD and derivatives like ᴹQ. erde/N. eredh “seed, germ” and ᴹQ. resta/N. rîdh “sown field, acre” (Ety/ERÉD, RED). √RED appeared again in the Outline of Phonology (OP2) from the
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: RAN-RAY
√RAN “wander, stray, meander, go on an uncertain course, go aside from a course (commanded or self-chosen); err” This root first appeared as ᴹ√RAN “wander, stray” in The Etymologies of the 1930s with derivatives like ᴹQ. ranya-/N. rhenia- “to stray”, ᴹQ. ránen/N. rhaun “errant”, and ᴹQ. Rana/N. Rhân as names
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: RA-RAM
√RĀ/ARA “noble, high, royal” An invertible root meaning “noble”, itself an extension of √AR (PE17/147). Given its widespread use, Tolkien did not define this root until quite late. Its first clear mention was in Notes on Names (NN) and Quenya Notes (QN), both from 1957. In NN, Tolkien introduced invertible
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: QIÐI-QOÐO
ᴱ√QIÐI “*stir, spin” An unglossed root in the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s given as √QIŘI [QIÐI] having derivatives like ᴱQ. qiri- “stir (make spin)”, ᴱQ. qindl “a spindle, top”, and ᴱQ. qirme “cream” (QL/77), the last probably from its production via stirring. It also had derivatives in the contemporaneous
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: POL-PUT
√POL “can, have physical power and ability; large, big (strong); [ᴹ√] physically strong, [ᴱ√] have stength; [√] pound up, break up small, reduce to powder” This root was connected to Elvish words for strength and physical ability for most of Tolkien’s life. It first appeared as ᴱ√POLO “have stength” in
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: PIK-PIW
ᴹ√PIK “*tiny” Tolkien used a variety of roots for Elvish words for “small”. One early root was ᴱ√PIKI with variants ᴱ√PINI and ᴱ√PĪ from the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, unglossed but with derivatives like ᴱQ. pínea “small” and ᴱQ. pinqe “slender, thin” (QL/73). It also had derivatives in the
Select Primitive Elvish Roots: PHELEK-PHUY
√PHELEK or ᴹ√PHELEG “*cave” An unglossed root with variants √PHELEK and √PHELES appearing in the margins for Notes on Names (NN) from 1957, as part of an exploration of the name S. Felagund (in this note given as Felegund or Felegond) and serving as the basis for the words Q.